New campaign launched to create more female role models in engineering and manufacturing

“We don’t want to be seen as the exception, we want to be seen as the rule,” is the clear message coming from women in engineering and manufacturing.

The rallying call is headlining In-Comm Training’s annual ‘I’m Included’ campaign, which launches today to shine a spotlight on the females behind engineering – showcasing their diverse roles, career paths and life experiences.

Backed by Enginuity and nine companies including Adams Enclosures, Assa Abloy, Filtermist, Industrial Physics, Jenks & Cattell, Rheinmetall BAE Systems Land (RBSL) and Safran, the initiative will highlight stories that often go unseen, celebrate achievements across different stages of an engineer’s journey and demonstrate how inclusion drives innovation and can help bridge industry’s skills gap.

The campaign is now calling on other businesses, leaders, engineers, apprentices and stakeholders of the sector to share their own stories via social media, personal videos and by spreading the message at roundtables and events.

“Women represent approximately 16.9% of the workforce in core engineering and technology jobs compared with 56% across all other occupations,” explained Bekki Phillips, Chief Operating Officer at In-Comm Training.

“This highlights ongoing underrepresentation, and we want to play our role in trying to change this.

“We brought together a focus group of ten female role models from the sector and asked them to share their stories, challenges and what they would say to inspire others. This has formed the core of our Inclusivity and Diversity Campaign for 2026, and we hope will provoke conversations in education and across the length and breadth of engineering and manufacturing.”

She went on to add:

“The overwhelming message is that we need to inspire others by proving that women in industry are the norm, highlighting all the hidden roles that are rarely seen and career journeys that are non-linear and heavily impacted by life phases, such as maternity and flexible working.

“It’s not just about inspiring individuals, we also need to inspire key stakeholders, such as teachers and parents, so they know all about our amazing sector and can openly promote it.”

A launch video, created by Eleven10Creative, has been released today to kickstart the campaign, exploring how inspiration doesn’t start in the workplace, it starts earlier on in lives.

The two-minute story starts with a young girl playing with a Formula One car and takes us through a journey of education, early-stage careers and different job roles inside industry, culminating in a standing ovation for a female MD, holding a F1 car that reflects the moment she became inspired as a child.

That leader is Claire Umney of Birmingham-based Alwayse Engineering, a specialist manufacturer of ball transfer units and manual handing solutions.

Following an extensive leadership career in warehousing, logistics and supply chain technologies, she has been in her current position since January 2024 and is a passionate advocate of driving productivity and bringing through more apprenticeships.

“This is such an important conversation to have and I’m extremely proud to be supporting the ‘I’m Included’ campaign, empowered by In-Comm Training,” added Claire.

“We all have a role to play to inspire more women to consider a career in industry, whether they are just starting out, looking to change roles or those that are returning to work.

“Our sector is an exciting place to work, and I believe is truly inclusive. We need to share more stories and that’s where I want everyone to promote their views and experiences – the more role models we create, the better.”

The launch video will be supplemented by a series of personal videos from an apprentice machinist, an associate director, a project manager, a senior systems engineer and from graduates working their way up the career ladder.

Kirsty Davies-Chinnock, who delivered a ‘day in the life’ video in her role as Managing Director of Professional Polishing Services (PPS), concluded:

“There are so many fantastic women in engineering and manufacturing and we need to celebrate this as the ‘status quo’ and the norm if we are going to get even more girls interested.

“I feel it’s also important to bring men on our journey, encouraging them to be advocates and champions for what we are trying to achieve. Their voice and backing are important

“My message to women is simple… ‘engineering is built by people like you.’”

To watch the launch video here: